Spanish Bread- A Filipino Bakery Favorite (2024)

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by sanna last updated May 7, 2023 posted January 4, 2019 179 Comments

Spanish Bread brings back memories of hot afternoon snacks back home with these soft bread coming out of brown paper bags, warm and fresh from the bakery. The sweet, buttery paste filling is my favorite.

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Around the time when the Holidays were approaching a reader asked if I have a Spanish Bread recipe on the blog.

And that was a very nice inquiry because I stopped and asked myself “Why I have not made this delicious bread, the Spanish bread which is also another bakery classic back home?”

You guys are my hero. You remind me of delicious things that I would not have not thought of by myself.

So here we are, Spanish bread like we are having a typical pinoy merienda.

What is there to love about these Spanish Bread?

They are meaty in the bread department. They are fat rolls of bread dusted with breadcrumbs all over.
The texture from the breadcrumbs makes them a delight to eat.
The chunky filling that is sweet and buttery is a nice contrast to the soft bread surrounding it.

Spanish Bread: The Process

Start by proofing the yeast. So in a large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk and yeast and let sit stand for about 5 minutes.

Note: The milk should be between 105-115 F. As you can see in the photo above, the mixture will turn foamy or creamy.

Add the sugar, eggs, salt and oil to the bowl and stir everything with a wooden spoon.

Then, add 4 cups of flour but only one cup at a time. Stir after each addition. The mixture will turn into a shaggy dough.

Sprinkle just enough of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and keep stirring until the dough gathers in the center.

Flour a board and dust your hands with flour as well. Turn the dough over onto the board and start kneading.

Use the remaining flour to dust your board and your hands to help with the stickiness as you knead.

You may need up to 1/8 cup more of flour as you continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.

New ko kneading? Check out my simple guide How to Knead Bread Dough ( with video).

Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover and let it rise for 1 and 1/2 hour, until the size is doubled.

Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide it into 18-20 almost equal sized portions.

Flatten each portion with your palms or use a rolling pin. You need an oval-shaped dough that is about the size of your hands.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the filling and spread it across the dough. Roll the dough into a log. Repeat with the rest of the portions.

Place them in a greased baking tray or line the tray with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, brush evaporated milk all over the logs, then dip them in breadcrumbs, making sure the log is all coated.

Line them up again in the baking tray. Cover the logs loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise for about an hour, or until they are puffy and doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Once the temperature is reached, bake the Spanish bread for 15-20 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.

Once they are done, be patient. The filling is hot. I know it smells nice and heavenly but that delicious filling needs more time before you take that bite.

Then grab what you need. A cup of coffee or tea maybe? Hot chocolate is super, too. Wind down and have a snack of warm bread, fresh from the oven. Some of the good things in life.

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Spanish Bread

Spanish Bread are soft bread rolls that are filled with a sweet, buttery paste, dusted with bread crumbs and baked to golden perfection.

4.67 from 36 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Snacks

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Spanish Bread

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Rise times for the Dough: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 18

Calories: 317kcal

Author: sanna

Ingredients

For the Bread Dough

1 and 1/4 cups warm milk 105-115 F
2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
4 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided + up to 1/8 cup extra for kneading
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs for coating the bread
1/4 cup evaporated milk

For the Spanish Bread Filling

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup` bread crumbs
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Instructions

Make the Bread Dough

In a mixing bowl, combine milk and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add the eggs, sugar, oiland salt. Stir everything with a woodenspoon. Add 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time while stirring. The mixture will turn into a shaggy dough.
Sprinkle just enough of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and keep stirring until the dough gathers in the center. Turn the dough over on a floured board and knead it until it is smooth and elastic, about 6-10 minutes. As you knead, dust your hands and yourboard as needed to help with the stickiness. You may need to use up to 1/8 cup of additional flour.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it a bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 and 1/2 hours, or until the size is doubled. You can make the filling at this point.
Gently punch the dough down and divide it into 18-20 portions. Using a small rolling pin or your hands, flatten each portion into an oval that is about the size of your hands. Spread about a tablespoon of the filling across the surface of the dough and roll it into a log. Repeat with all the other portions. Arrange the rolls in a largebaking tray that is greased or lined with parchment paper. Brush evaporated milk on each of the rolls and dip them in breadcrumbs. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise for an hour.
See Also
Super Soft Brioche Dinner Rolls Spanish Bread- A Filipino Bakery Favorite Homemade Monay Bread Bread - Foxy Folksy Food Hit List: June 2023 - San Diego Magazine
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the Spanish bread for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden.

Spanish Bread Filling

Heat the butter in a small saucepan until it is bubbly. Add the flour and the breadcrumbs and stir the mixture vigorously with a wire whisk for a few seconds. This is a grainy mixture at this point. Immediately add the milk and keep stirring until the mixture loosens up a bit. Stir for 30 seconds more and turn off heat. Stir in the sugar well until it is incorporated. Set aside to cool. This mixture is a chunky paste.

Video

Notes

Nutrition Facts

Spanish Bread

Amount Per Serving (1 roll)

Calories 317Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 33mg11%

Sodium 267mg12%

Potassium 127mg4%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 180IU4%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 77mg8%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

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Made this recipe?

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About sanna

Sanna is a wife and mother of three, living in Alberta, Canada. Her passion for baking, making good food and writing sparked her desire to start Woman Scribbles.

She loves pastries, yoga, reading books and camping during the summer. She loves cilantro, avocado toast, and a real crispy fried chicken.

Reader Interactions

Comments

BeckyO says
January 13, 2023 at 3:20 pm
Love this recipe. No plain breads crumbs so I used corn meal for the bread dough and ground pecans with the evap. milk topping. Delicious! I had to cook these longer the time in recipe. Also, don’t place the buns too close to each other as it delays browning. I would definitely make this again.
Reply
- sanna says
  January 28, 2023 at 8:49 am
  Thanks, Becky! And thanks for the tips!
  Reply
Lakshay Sen says
August 3, 2022 at 12:14 am
The Tummy Train
This is one of my favorite Filipino breads! I love the slightly sweet taste and the fluffy texture. It’s perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
Reply
- sanna says
  August 5, 2022 at 3:27 pm
  Hello! I absolutely love it too!
  Reply
Riz says
July 18, 2022 at 11:02 am
Can I use a mixer for kneading?
Reply
- sanna says
  July 29, 2022 at 10:52 am
  Hi Riz! Yes, you can use a mixer to knead the dough. Mix the dough until you form a shaggy mass, then knead it using the mixer. 🙂
  Reply
  See Also
  Ube ( Purple Yam ) Bread Rolls
Jenn says
February 18, 2022 at 5:49 am
Hi!
Can you freeze or refrigerate before baking ?
Reply
- sanna says
  February 22, 2022 at 12:24 pm
  Hi Jenn. You can refrigerate shaped rolls before baking. On the day of baking, allow it to do its second rise at room temp, then bake as directed 🙂
  Reply
Lisa says
February 10, 2022 at 4:11 pm
Can you bake these as a loaf of bread?
Reply
- sanna says
  February 17, 2022 at 4:02 am
  Hi Lisa! Yes, you can do that too!
  Reply
MJ says
December 22, 2021 at 3:21 pm
Hi- My family loves these. I’d like to premake as much as I can before the holidays. If i freeze the dough after the second rise, do I need thaw it before baking. thanks
Reply
- sanna says
  December 22, 2021 at 8:26 pm
  Hi MJ! I suggest that after shaping the bread, freeze them. When its baking time, thaw and let them rise until soft amd puffy, then bake ❤. Happy Holidays.
  Reply
Brenda Joyce Williams Vaughn Nelson says
October 6, 2021 at 3:04 pm
Can you put cheese in these
Reply
- sanna says
  October 20, 2021 at 9:41 am
  Yes you can use cheese as a filling instead.
  Reply
Rizcel says
August 20, 2021 at 12:51 am
Can I heat it in a microwave? If I can, for how many minutes?
Reply
- sanna says
  August 24, 2021 at 7:44 pm
  Hi, Rizcel! Yes, you can re-heat it for 8-15 seconds in the microwave 🙂
  Reply
Martin Arellano says
August 13, 2021 at 1:03 am
I would like to ask if it is 1 and 1/4 cup warm milk plus 1/4 cup evap milk?
So the total liquid would be 1 and 1/2 cup milk? am I right?
Thank you very much
Reply
- sanna says
  August 24, 2021 at 7:52 pm
  Hi Martin! The evap milk will be for brushing on the dough after they are shaped and it is not an actual part of the dough ingredients 🙂
  Reply
Cassie says
June 20, 2021 at 6:32 pm
Hi Sanna,
Can I store these bread in the freezer? I don’t want to bake them all at once. Also, is it necessary to wait for the bread to double in size after the milk and break crumbs coating, because I just want to pop them in the oven immediately. Thanks!
Reply
- sanna says
  June 23, 2021 at 5:08 am
  Hi Cassie! Yes you need to allow them to do the second rise, 30- 40 minutes should be fine. Also you can freeze this. Just wrap them in plastic film, then in foil.
  Reply
Ambika says
June 11, 2021 at 3:52 am
I am allergic to eggs, can it be replaced with something else. If yes, then what….
Reply
- sanna says
  June 30, 2021 at 12:32 pm
  Sorry, Ambika. Unfortunately I have not tested an egg substitute for this.
  Reply
Krystle Murray says
June 2, 2021 at 11:21 pm
Can the dough be knead in my stand mixer?
Reply
- sanna says
  June 8, 2021 at 7:02 pm
  Yes, you can use a stand mixer to knead the dough, until it gathers in the center and cleans the side of the bowl.
  Reply
Judy M. says
May 20, 2021 at 8:51 pm
Have made these Spanish breads three times in the last month… I am addicted! What a great sweet bread and very easy dough to work with.
Reply
- sanna says
  May 25, 2021 at 7:39 pm
  Thank you so much, Judy!
  Reply
Marie says
April 13, 2021 at 6:02 pm
Hi! Can I use instant dry yeast instead? Would you still need to add the warm milk into the mixture if using tthe instant one? Thanks!
Reply
- sanna says
  April 13, 2021 at 6:05 pm
  Hello there! You can use instant yeast but I still recommend using the same method as if you are using active dry yeast.
  Reply
Lilia says
March 1, 2021 at 3:37 pm
Sanna,
Can I use Chevy whipping cram? I am run out of regular milk.
Reply
- sanna says
  March 10, 2021 at 3:35 pm
  I suggest half cream and half water for the total amount. 🙂
  Reply
Tatum says
November 29, 2020 at 4:39 pm
Can I add cheese as a filling?
Reply
- sanna says
  November 29, 2020 at 5:05 pm
  Yes you can 🙂 Enjoy!
  Reply